1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a guide support for tube bending machines and, more particularly, to a guide support for tube bending machines that allows the bending of a tube either to the left, in a clockwise direction, or to the right, in a counterclockwise direction.
2. Description of Related Art
To bend a tube in a clockwise direction, a bending arm rotates from the right to the left around a bending head.
To bend a tube in a counterclockwise direction, a bending arm rotates from the left to the right around a bending head.
French patent application No. 0118593, in the name of the applicant, discloses a tube bending machine for bending a tube either to the left or to the right by means of a bending roller mounted to the bending arm.
Further, a tube bending machine described in the French patent application No. 1116593 comprises:                a stationary framework provided along its longitudinal axis with a guide rail on which slides a movable carriage rigidly secured to a bushing that provides through the action of an internal clamping chuck the guiding and the immobilization of a tube for bending, in either a rotational or in a translational motion;        at one of its extremities a bending head, a bending roller and a bending arm that rotates around the vertical axis XX′ of the bending head for the forming of the tube;        a bending arm provided with a chuck jaw support that travels horizontally in the direction of the bending head, being said chuck jaw support rigidly secured to a clamping jaw that is provided with at least one jaw for the bending of the tube in a clockwise direction and with at least one jaw for the bending of the tube in a counterclockwise direction, which jaws are stationary with respect to each other;        a bending roller that is mounted on the bending arm and is provided with at least one jaw for the bending of the tube in a clockwise direction and with at least one jaw for the bending of the tube in a counterclockwise direction, being said jaws laterally staggered with respect to each other, and on side and the other of the vertical axis XX′ of the bending head;        a first guide support that comprises at least one jaw for the tight support of the tube at the time of the bending in a clockwise direction;        and a second guide support that comprises at least one jaw for the tight support of the tube at the time of the bending in a counterclockwise direction.        
As such, the tube bending machine disclosed in French patent application No. 116593 comprises two guide supports to effectuate the bending of the tube in a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction, respectively.